The regiment is part of the Italian Army's infantry arm's Paracadutisti speciality and assigned to the Paratroopers Brigade "Folgore".

[7][9] The regiment's anniversary falls on 23 October 1942, the day the Second Battle of El Alamein began.

The division was one of the Royal Italian Army units assigned to the planned invasion of Malta.

Afterwards the 3rd Paratroopers regiment consisted of the following units:[7][9][10][11] In July 1942, after the First Battle of El Alamein, the invasion of Malta was postponed indefinitely and the Royal Italian Army's General Staff decided to send the Paratroopers Division to North Africa to reinforce the depleted German-Italian Panzer Army Africa at El Alamein in Egypt.

In the early hours of the afternoon, the paratroopers conducted the first Italian airborne assault near Argostoli on the Greek island of Cephalonia.

The next day the paratroopers commandeered some boats and proceeded to occupy the islands of Zakynthos and Ithaca.

At the time the division fielded around 5,000 men and the 187th Infantry Regiment "Folgore" consisted of the following units:[7][9][13] From 30 August to 5 September 1942, the "Folgore" division participated in General Erwin Rommel's unsuccessful attempt to outflank the British Eighth Army at El Alamein in the Battle of Alam el Halfa.

[14] On 29 September 1942, the British forces launched Operation Braganza against the paratroopers of the "Folgore" division, which, despite their numerical inferiority, managed to repulse the attack.

[14] On 23 October 1942, the British Eighth Army began the Second battle of El Alamein.

At the time the 187th Infantry Regiment held the northern half of the "Folgore" division's position.

[15] The "Folgore" division, which formed the Axis' rearguard, had no motorized transport and thus was forced to walk through the desert.

[7][9] For their conduct and sacrifice during the Western Desert campaign at El Alamein the three regiments of the 185th Infantry Division "Folgore" were awarded Italy's highest military honor, the Gold Medal of Military Valor.

[7][9][18] On 12 November 1976, the President of the Italian Republic Giovanni Leone assigned with decree 846 the flag and traditions of the 187th Infantry Regiment "Folgore" to the 2nd Paratroopers Battalion "Tarquinia".

During World War II the 10th Company was assigned to the IV Paratroopers Battalion, which had served with the 187th Infantry Regiment "Folgore" at El Alamein.

[1][4] From 15 April to 12 August 1997, the regiment took part in Operation Alba, a multinational peacekeeping mission in Albania.

[7] From 15 June to 15 September 2003, the regiment deployed to Khost in Afghanistan for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.

The 10th Paratroopers Maneuver Support Company is equipped with 120mm mortars and Spike MR anti-tank guided missiles.